Church of The Crown The Greenwood The Willow Tree War Bolton’s 13 St Michael 11 Hotel 6 Tree Stag 3 Cafe 1 Memorial 1 Bench and All Angels

9

4

Empress Road

Kings Cl Romsey Rd

Wellands Rd 11 12 8 7 6 18 Southampton Rd High St 3 13 A35 A35 10 15 2 A35 14 5 1

Beaulieu Rd Bournemouth Rd Gosport Ln 16

Shaggs Meadow Chapel Ln 17

Elcombes Verderers’ The Queen’s The The Fox and The former Locations relating to: 15 14 Court 14 (or King’s) House 10 Nondescripts Hounds 2 Grand Hotel 1 WW1

2 WW2

3 Both

Not accessible or visible

The War Memorial, on Bolton’s Bench① is where a Evacuees joined Lyndhurst School⑫ children, alternating service was held before the Seventh Division left for Ypres morning and afternoon sessions. The children marched to in WW1. Their HQ was in the former Grand Hotel②. the air raid shelter in the school field, carrying gas masks, A German submarine lurking in the Channel delayed when the siren sounded. Families were encouraged to build marching orders. 15,000 soldiers, cheered by locals, their own shelters as there was often no time to reach a marched 11 miles to embark at Southampton docks. Only public shelter. Horse chestnuts and acorns were collected 2,380 men survived 3 weeks of battle. A Catholic Church by children. Chestnuts were used in munitions and charcoal window commemorates the ‘Immortal Seventh’ Division. made from acorns was used in gas masks. WW2. More names were added to the War Memorial after A marble war memorial at St Michael’s⑬ was given by local WW2 and the Falklands conflict. stonemasons, the Ellery family, who lost a son in WW1. War The Grand Hotel was nicknamed ‘The Ship’ when, in Graves are at The Bench Cemetery and Christ Church. Kings March 1944, the Royal Naval training unit relocated from (Queens) House⑭ was base for the Verderers and their South Western Hotel Southampton in preparation for Court. The Auxiliary Territorial Services (ATS) was based at D -Day. Elcombes⑮. The HQ of the Rural District Council went from what Lyndhurst had several hospitals. Hill (now Hartwood) House⑯ is now Willow Tree cafe③ (formerly Court Tea Rooms) Hospital was run by Lyndhurst Voluntary Red Cross (1,016 to Empress Roadr near the Civil Defence HQ and patients were treated in WW1), Haskells (now redeveloped Engineering Depot. for housing)⑰ was a Medical Reception Station, Army Dental Lyndhurst was a centre of enemy resistance - an Anti Tank Centre and Regimental Medical Post. The WI grew fruit and Island (1940). Seven concrete roadblocks were designed vegetables in allotments there too. for roads around the village in case of invasion. Concrete More Ammunition Supply, Vehicle reserves depots and remains can be seen in a garden fence by Gosport Ordnance Stores were by the present Fire Station⑱. Lane car park entrance⑤. Eight Lyndhurst men were in Churchill’s Secret Army, trained, like the Resistance, to The was important in both World Wars. sabotage an enemy invasion. In WW1 30,000 soldiers camped with their animals and A JU- 88 bomber chased by Fighter Command dropped equipment on The Bench and Race Course in preparation 7 bombs in the High Street in 1940. One fell in the old and training for the battlefield. ⑥ injuring Dick Fire Station (now The Greenwood Tree) In WW2 the Forest readied for a threatened Galton, an AFS volunteer. Bombs may not have exploded German invasion. due to lack of altitude or sabotage by forced labour. Secret preparations were made in the Forest for the A black German Stuka (complete with bullet holes) shot liberation of Europe, codenamed Operation Overlord LyndhurstLyndhurst down near Boldrewood Road, was displayed in Poole’s (D-Day). Garage⑦ (now Peggy May’s cafe) window. Roads were widened and surfaced, Mulberry Harbours inin Wartime leisure, darts, dances with live music, tennis, were built at Lepe, the Solent was packed with ships and 12 football, bowls and films were all available locally in pubs, airfields were constructed. On 6 June 1944 the troops made Hall and big houses. The Plaza cinema⑧ their way to the coast and Normandy. Lyndhurst and the (later Budgens supermarket) was very popular. The Civic Forest became strangely quiet overnight. WARTIMEWARTIME Restaurant⑨ in Romsey Road provided cheap meals. The population of Lyndhurst has increased from 2,000 to The Ministry of Food Office at Crown Lodge⑩ (The 3,000 since WW2. There was no carpark, one-way scheme or Nondescripts Club) checked coupons and issued Ration traffic lights at Romsey Road. There were stables at Books and orange juice and cod liver oil and malt for The Fox & Hounds, and animals roamed the High Street, children. The Ministry checked what farmers grew and as the Forest was not fenced. Everything one needed ordered cultivation of infertile forest. (not affected by the war) could be bought in the High Street. Air Raid Precautions (ARP) moved to HQ at Crown Hotel Stables⑪ from a hut in Empress Road. The ARP Illustrations: James Bull (ex. * Angela Trend) wardens watched for fires, enemy planes and sounded Text: Angela Trend Scan the the Air Raid siren warning and All Clear signals. They Maps Designed by TLC-Online QR Code Designed and Printed by TLC-Online for to download checked for blackout and safety after air raids. Royal Lyndhurst Parish Council ©2020 Engineers were also at The Crown. this leaflet Canadian House and Christ Church, The 44 Memorial* 33 Memorial Seat 37 41 Emery Down 32 Swan Look out Tower

A35 Deerleap Ln 43 Pikes Hill 40 Emery 42

39 A337 26 Down 36 Southampton Rd 38 44 41 LYNDHURST

Gosport Ln 1 37 32 Chapel Ln B3056 23 A337 29 19 Beaulieu Road 31

B3056 20 33 34 24 22 Bank Allum 30 Clayhill Bournemouth Rd Green 35 25 B3056

A35

21 27

Brockenhurst Road 28

Foxlease Portuguese En route to children’s party Lime Wood Yew Tree Locations relating to: 30 29 Fireplace at Northerwood House 24 Hotel 21 Heath* 1 WW1

2 WW2

3 Both

Not accessible or visible

Lyndhurst Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home was dismayed when six arrived. A sick bay for evacuees was at Hill Rise4@ was a maternity hospital as was Northerwood Guard - ‘Dad’s Army’) trained on The Bench① in WW2. Bench View, Southampton Road. Foxlease3), the Girl Guiding House3^ for a time for Portsmouth and Southampton. Emery Down and Bank HG met at The Swan3@. At first the centre, took evacuees and was a Women’s Voluntary Service The Fenwick Hospital4# used half of the beds for locals, HG had no uniforms, equipment or weapons. Their rifles (WVS) base. The grounds were used for training Commandos the rest for military. when issued had the wrong ammunition. and paratroopers. A First Aid post was by the cricket pavilion behind The Cuffnells3!, once home of Alice Hargreaves, the real Alice, Bench①. The Royal Observer Corps, who spotted and was Battery HQ for a Searchlight Regiment then HQ for a Light reported enemy planes, were based in a brick hut by the Aircraft Regiment and 304 Infantry Brigade. Dances and films Lyndhurst as it might have been, trig point. for locals too were held in the dining room. without constant vigilance… Whitemoor⑲, Matley⑳, Yew Tree Heath•! and Women replaced enlisted men, in the Land Army, VAD Pondhead•@ South of the Bench were used for military (Voluntary Aid Detachment) nurses, ARP, AFS, factories, drivers training in both wars. On Whitemoor Southern Command and many other roles. Some Land Army girls were billeted at Bombing and Trench Mortar School trained men to Swan Green3@ in cottages and the pub outbuildings. use land mines and grenades. A War Dog School of Bombs exploded at Allum Green3#, shattering the house and Instruction (1917) was nearby. Dogs carried messages killing four soldiers of the ROAC (Royal Army Ordnance Corps). on the battlefield when barrage was heavy and The soldiers were evacuees from Dunkirk, there in case of an communication difficult. Remains of practice trenches, invasion. They repaired military vehicles. A memorial bench is hut lines and a Rifle Range can be found in the heather. close to the bomb craters. In WW2 the sandpit2# was used to fill sandbags for Near Allum Green, Mill Lane, Emery Down, , Bartley protection from bomb blast. Advance Field Depot and and Longdown were searchlights and Armoury. shop, Ammunition Distribution Points, Vehicle Supply Dumps and Repair shops were on Whitemoor and Ed Clarke, the Refuse and Salvage Officer, organised ‘salvage drives,’ collecting waste paper, old bones, rags, pans etc to Pondhead. On Matley Ridge a Diver Battery Team were send to recycling factories. Scouts and school children were designing bombs more powerful than German V1 flying bombs (Doodlebugs). rewarded with certificates. Tar drums were used to collect salvage picked up in the old ‘Bean Station Bus.’ Wilverley Hants Divisional Fire Service HQ was based at Park Hill House3$ stored salvage in the outbuildings and billeted (now Lime Wood)2$ away from the heavy bombing in evacuees and soldiers. 2% and Southampton and Portsmouth. At Denny Wood Deerhurst3%, near Wilverley, was a Royal Engineer Bomb Longdown2^ strategic fires (Starship Decoys) replicating city fires attempted to divert enemy bombers. Disposal unit and HQ of 139 LAA Regt and 185 Regt (Royal 2& Artillery) before D-Day. Beaulieu Road station was a Military Rail Depot with Northerwood House3^ became HQ for the 33rd Army nearby ammunition store. Long concrete road strips still  visible were for Fire Services vehicles to be ready in case Tank Brigade. The 3rd Canadian Royal Army Service Corps (commemorated by the Canadian Cross at Boldrewood4$) of fires when convoys left for D Day. A Heavy Anti-Aircraft •! were billeted here. They led the assault on Juno Beach. The gun emplacement (Joyce) on Yew Tree Heath was part Canadians generously entertained Lyndhurst schoolchildren of Southampton GDA (Gun Defended Area) with Battery HQ at Fernycroft (Scouting Activity Centre)2*. A HAA site with a jeep ride and Christmas party. at Matley⑳ was a V1 ‘Doodlebug’ defence. The Look Out Tower3& at Emery Down watched for forest Timber was essential in wartime especially for pit props in fires which would expose soldiers, camps, lorries, jeeps, coal mines. Coal provided the fuel to produce the steam motor bikes, equipment and supplies camouflaged with nets under trees and roadside ready for D-Day. Concrete pillars and power necessary for industry and battleships. Canadians trenches at New Forest Inn3* and Portuguese lumbermen replaced enlisted locals at were part of the anti tank island Millyford Bridge2( and (WW2) Sawmills. defences. The Portuguese Fireplace memorial at Millyford was Acres Down3( and Pilmore Gate4) had trenches and rifle part of the cookhouse. WW1 concrete remains mark the ranges for training. Acres Down was a ‘Battle Training Area’ - a sawmill and railway. live firing area and a magnet for local boys. Before WW2 officials visited every private house, listing The Lych Gate at Christ Church4!, Emery Down (1921) the spare bedrooms, for billetting evacuees. The Billetting commemorates local men. A memorial tablet in Appletree Office was in Romsey Road. One family expecting four Court District Council Offices recalls council workers. From a postcard